Over 21,000 households in Oxford may have missed out on £1,500 by not switching energy supplier

By
John Charlton

Big Energy Saving Week reveals that failing to switch energy supplier may have cost 21,000 households in Oxford more than £1,500 each over the past six years – the equivalent of more than half a year of the UK’s average weekly shopping trips.

Figures from Ofgem have revealed that 9 million households across the UK – more than a third (35%) of all households – failed to change gas or electricity provider between 2012 and 2017, with only 17%6 of people in the South switching in the last year alone and missing out savings of hundreds of pounds a year.

And while a YouGov survey carried out for Big Energy Saving Week reveals 37% of people across England will visit multiple supermarkets to ensure we get the best deal on our weekly shop, we are not being as savvy with our energy suppliers, with millions of households remaining on the more expensive Standard Variable Tariff, despite better deals being available.

Big Energy Saving Week is a nationwide campaign from the Energy Saving Trust, Citizens Advice and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) which helps households lower their annual spend on energy.

Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive, Energy Saving Trust, said: “The difference between the average Standard Variable Tariff and the cheapest deal on the market is significant, but millions of households still aren’t accessing these savings. To put that into context, switching this year could save you up to £300 – equivalent to more than a month’s worth of food shopping.

“In other words, if you haven’t switched for six years, you’ve missed out on more than six months’ of food shopping.

“With January being a tight month for household budgets, now is the time to look at switching your energy tariff to make sure you’re on the best possible deal.”

As part of the Big Energy Saving Week campaign, Citizens Advice will host events across Great Britain with its volunteers and staff offering face-to-face advice to people with concerns about their energy bills, helping share information about switching and about how the Energy Switch Guarantee makes the process simple and easy.